E norris peters



(No Model.)

K. TAYLORi TESTER FOR SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS. I

No; 476,093. 7 Patented May 31, 1892 I- III- WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KENNER TAYLOR, OF FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN MEAGHER, OF SAME PLACE.

TESTER FOR SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,093, dated May 31, 1892.

Application filed October 15. 1891. Serial No. 408,800. (No model.)

To all wh om zit may concern; more rapid and accurate and less difficult and l 3e it known that I, KENNER TAYLOR, a wasteful. citizenof theUnltedstates,residingatFrankj To this end my invention consists in the fort, in the county of Franklin and State of construction and combination of parts form- Kentucky, have invented certain new and ing a tester for spirituous liquors, hereinusefulImprovementsin Testers for Spirituous after described and claimed, reference being Liquors; and I do hereby declare the following had to the aecom pan yin g drawings, in which to be a full, clear, and exact description of the Figure I represents a tester for spirituous invention, such as will enable others skilled liquors according to my invention in position IO in the art to which it appertains to make and for the hydrometer to be read. Fig. II shows use the same. a fragment of the same, on a larger scale,

This invention relates to thatclass of meas-, with the thermometer ready to be read; and

tiring-instruments by means of which whisky Fig. III represents the tester in vertical secand other spirituous liquors are tested as to tion with the partsat rest in position for safe I 5 that quality which is termed their proof. storage or transportation. Fig. IV is a cross- I'Ieretofore it has been the common pracsection at line 00 of Fig. I.

tice for the gager to dip one or moretimes a I 5 represents the body or cup, consisting of long-handled cup called a thief down a thin metallic tube parted at the lines (5, 7,

through the bung-hole of a barrel into the and 8 for convenient access to the inner 2o whisky which is to be tested and to draw out parts and joined at these places by screwthereby enough whisky to nearly fill his testthreads. cup, which cup is provided with a thermome- 36 represents a thermometer, which is supter at one side, where its registry may be read ported in the cup by a rod 37 which is fitted through a window in the cup. In the eX- to slide out and in through a bearing in the 2 5 tremes of hot and cold weather the cup must cap 38 of the body. 7 5 be repeatedly filled from the barrel to. est-ab- 9 represents-two or more apertures through lish the temperature of the whisky in the the metallic body5,covered byaninteriorglass cup, which can seldom be done with any detube, which is tightly sealed to the body to gree of accuracy. After the temperature of form a permanent part thereof, whereby the 30 the whisky has thus been approximately deapertures 9 serve as glass windows through termined, ahydrometer such as is prescribed which the readings of the thermometer may by the United States Government for such be made. purposes being placed in the cup, the specific 10 represents the usual hydrometer pregravity of the sample of whisky is to be read scribed bythe United States Government for 35 by observing the line of the hydrometer-scale such test purposes, and 12 is a seat therefor, which is at the top level of the whisky. This consisting of a cup-shaped piece of soft ruboperation is rendered very uncertain in its her provided with a stud 13, which may be results by the effect of capillary attraction in supported in the body in any usual manner; raising a ring of whisky above its normal butI prefer acupshaped metallic portion 14,

0 level around the stem of the hydrometer, by having a perforated bottom 15 to receive the the wind tipping the hydrometer-stem to one stud 13, this cup 14 15 being secured to the side or ruffiing the surface of the whisky, body 5. and, further, by the liability of the whisky at 16 represents a ring of soft rubber adapted the side of the cup,where the thermometer is to surround the hydrometer at its upper shoul- 45 located, being atadifferent temperature from der below the stem 11 thereof and to rest 5 the whisky in the middle of the cup, where closely upon the hydrometer. Thus the hythe hydrometer is. drometer is safely held when not in service The object of my invention is toobviate between the soft-rubber seat 12 and ring 16, the above and other disadvantages and to and the seat is made vertically adjustable by 50 render the testing of whisky and other liquors means of washers 17, one or more of which too may be inserted, as required,- to firmly hold hydrometers of slightly-different sizes. The ring 16 is supported in a frame comprising the cup-shaped annulus 18, one or more rods 19, and a disk 20, attached permanently to the handle-rod 37, and this rod is perforated or notched at 21 to be engaged by a detent 22, which is actuated by a spring 40 and is provided with a finger-knob 23, whereby the handle-rod, with the attached frame and the ring 16, will be securely held when inserted, and 24 shows another perforation or notch in the rod 37, which when the rod is drawn out is engaged by the same detent 22 and held extended.

25 is a handle upon the rod 37.

26 is a valve seated at 27 in the lower end of the cup or body 5 and adapted to open inward, so that when the cup is pushed down into whisky the Valve will rise and admit the 31 is a finger plate or latch attached to the pendent arm of the elbow-lever and located in an aperture at the side of the cup, but not to project beyond the exterior of the cup.

32' represents discharge-holes through which surplus liquor may escape from .the cup.

The operation is as follows: With the handle pushed in let the cup down throughthe bung-hole of a barrel into the liquor and let it remain there long enough to acquire the temperature thereof. The cup, if immersed, will be quickly filled with liquor; but when the outs or wantage of a barrel is so great that the whisky does not come up to the discharge-holes 32 it may be filled by a few quick downward thrusts of the cup, which will raise the liquor in it above the level of liquor in the barrel. Now withdraw the cupfrom the barrel and observe the reading of the thermometer through the window. Then press the knob 23 and release the rod 37 from the detent and quickly draw out the handle until it is again engaged by the detent, When the thermometer, with the frame 18 19, and the rubber ring 16 are thus drawn by the handle out of the whisky, the level of the latter is lowered in the cup and the height of the discharge-holes32 is experimentally gaged, so that it will contain just enough whisky to cover the thermometer duringthe reading thereof and will be lowered by the said withdrawal of parts, so that the top-of the Whisky will be near the middle of the windows, where the readings of the hydrometer, which is now permitted to fioatby the said withdrawal of its retaining-ring 16, may

be accurately observed. It takes longer to describe than to perform this whole operation of testing a sample of liquor, and when the test is made the sample may be returned to thebarrel by guiding the lower end of the cup to the bung-hole and then pressing upon the latch 31, which, raising the valve 26, discharges the whisky from the cup into the barrel without having wasted a drop of liquor.

By being able to look through the window along the level of the liquor the exact line of the hydrometer-gage may be seen without ,any interruption from the capillary rise of liquor around the hydrometer-stem. This is a great advantage over the old metallic cup, above the top of which the readings must be observed looking downward at an uncertain angle, and that through the capillary rising of liquor around the stem. It has also the advantage of keeping the cup closed agalnst all outside influences-such as windwhich would move the hydrometer-stem out of plumb and vary its reading, and dust, which quickly changes the apparent height of the surface of the liquor on the gage. It also has an element of greater accuracy by insuring the tempera'ure of the sample to be that of the liquor within the barrel and in enabling both the temperature and the specific gravity to be read quickly while the sample retains that temperature.

The ease with which this tester maybe used obviates the temptation which frequently prevails with the gager in using the old style of "cup to put samples from two or more barrels into the cup at one test, by which practice his tests were rendered inaccurate. The old method of dipping with the thief from the bun g-hole and pouring repeatedly into the test-cup was a source of waste WlllCll amounted to a large sum in every year, and this is avoided by my cup being inserted bodily into the barrel, and that but once, and by returning it in a manner not to spill a drop.

, The dotted line 39 represents an opening through the back of the cup, into which the finger of the operator may be introduced to loosen the hydrometer-stem from theside of eter in the cup and handle, and a window in the cup opposite the normal position of the thermometer, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a tester for spirituous liquors, of a cup suitable to enter the bung-hole of a barreh-a window in the side of the cup, a handle fitted to telescope Within the cup, a thermometer attached to the handle IOC and normally located opposite the window, and a hydrometer located loosely within the cup, substantially as described, whereby the thermometer may be normally located below the liquor-level of the cup to be wholly immersed in the liquor while the temperature is being read and then be drawn up out of the liquor, permitting free access to the thermometer-reading.

3. The combination, in testers for spiritu-' ous liquors, of a cup of a size and length adapted to enter the bung-hole of abarrel and having a window in its side, an inlet provided with a valve near the lower end of the cup, and outlets between the window and the top of the cup, and means, substantially as described, for lowering the liquor from the level of the said outlets to a point in the window, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of a closed cup for spirituous-liquor testers, a valve near the lower end thereof, a thermometer Within the tube and attached to a sliding handle, a window in the side of the cup, and outlets above the window, substantially as described, whereby the liquor may escape to a fixed point.

5. The combination, in testers for spirituous liquors, of a closed cup with aglazed window in its side, cushioned seats for a hydrometer in the cup, and a movable handle carrying one of the seats, substantially was described.

6. The combination, in testers for spirituous liquors, of a closed cup having a fixed cushion as a seat for a hydrometer, a Valve 1n the cup, and a rod fitted to slide into the cup KENNER TAYLOR. Witnesses:

W. X. STEVENS, M. C. HILLYARD. 

